New FA Chair Greg Dyke said that "it was unfeasible" that the 2022 World Cup could be played in Qatar’s summer months, "laying down an immediate challenge" to FIFA to switch the tournament to the winter, according to Sam Wallace of the London INDEPENDENT.
Dyke made his first public appearance as FA chairman Sunday at the Community Shield in London, "having spent the last two months getting to know his new organisation." However, he "has been unequivocal about one of the biggest issues in world football, the award of the 2022 World Cup to Qatar, to be played in the summer when temperatures rise above 40C in the Gulf nation." Dyke’s predecessor, David Bernstein, also described that option in June as "fundamentally flawed," on the basis that Qatar’s bid had been to stage a summer World Cup (INDEPENDENT, 8/10). Dyke said, "I don’t know how many people have been to Qatar in June. I have. The one thing I can tell you is you can’t play a football tournament in Qatar in June. Even if all the stadia are air-conditioned, which seems a little strange in terms of the green policy, it would be impossible for the fans. Just go out there and try wandering around in that sort of heat." He added, "The FA’s position will be that you can’t play it in summer in Qatar. FIFA therefore has two choices: either you move it in time or you move it to another location. I suspect either ends up in some sort of litigation, but then someone should have worked that out in 2010, when it was awarded" (LONDON TIMES, 8/10).

TIME TO SPARE: The PA reported FIFA VP Jim Boyce has told the Premier League that "it would have more than enough time to prepare for a winter World Cup in Qatar." However, Premier League CEO Richard Scudamore said that "a switch would have a three-year knock-on effect for his competition." Boyce said, "I fully understand the Premier League, but I would hope that in nine years' time, for the good of football, people can sit down and realise a sensible decision has to be made. Most of the opposition appears to be coming from the Premier League. There are many European countries who cannot play in the winter and do have a winter break" (GUARDIAN, 8/11).

QATAR HITS BACK: The SHANGHAI DAILY wrote "insisting they deserve the chance to stage the World Cup," Qatar’s football leaders "hit back at their English counterparts for suggesting that FIFA consider taking the 2022 tournament away from the desert nation." Dyke incensed the Qataris by arguing that "the heat in the tiny emirate could be 'very dangerous.'" The Qatar World Cup supreme committee said in a statement, "Football is the most popular sport in the Middle East and the people of our region deserve the opportunity to have history made in their part of the world" (SHANGHAI DAILY, 8/11).

FA Chair Greg Dyke said it is "inevitable" that further technology will be introduced to help referees, predicting video reviews would be utilized for fouls and other close calls, according to Owen Gibson of the London GUARDIAN. FIFA has allowed the introduction of only goal-line technology, "drawing a distinction between its discrete use in that scenario and the more contentious introduction of video replays to help decide on other difficult decisions." But Dyke said that he "believed it was inevitable that it would end up being introduced to help with close calls such as penalty claims." Dyke: "When we look back in 25 years' time we'll say this was only the beginning. It's inevitable there will be more use of video technology to help referees. The thing you're always going to play off is how much does it slow up the game, how much does it spoil the game and all the rest of it." Dyke said that "it was unlikely that any further technology would be introduced in the next two to three years while the goalline system, which will be used in the Premier League and at Wembley, beds in" (GUARDIAN, 8/10).

GOAL LINE DEBUT: The AP reported that goal-line technology made its debut Sunday in the Community Shield match between ManU and Wigan at Wembley, but "what was missing in the game was a disputed goal." It "would have been the first time in English football history when the referee could defer to goal-line technology with Hawk-Eye's 14 cameras in the ground following FIFA approval" (AP, 8/11).

UEFA has announced that its estimated gross commercial revenue for the '13-14 Champions League and Super Cup competitions will be around €1.34B ($1.79B) in figures released by the governing body on Thursday. The Champions League winner is in line to collect €37.4M ($49M). Some 75% of the total revenue from media rights and commercial contracts will go to the clubs up to a maximum of €530M ($707M), while the remaining 25% will be reserved for European football, and will remain with UEFA to cover organizational and administrative costs as well as solidarity payments to associations, clubs and leagues. A total of 82% of any revenue received from the same stream in excess of €530M will go to the clubs, with the other 18% allotted to European football and remaining with UEFA for the purposes listed above. From the estimated gross commercial revenue, €55M ($73M) will be assigned exclusively to the playoffs, as was the case in the '12-13 season. Each of the 20 teams taking part in the playoffs will receive a fixed amount of €2.1M ($2.8M). The 32 clubs featured in the '12-13 Champions League group stage can anticipate a minimum €8.6M ($11.4M) (UEFA).